Aftermath and Repercussions
by Josephine77
Summary: Gold remains vigilant at Belle's hospital bedside after she's shot and falls over the town line, but the repercussions are greater than just her lost memories.
1. Chapter 1

**Aftermath and Repercussions**

"What are you doing here?"

"Since we have two unconscious men and a young woman shot tonight, I think I'm exactly in the right place," David answered as he stood next to Mr. Gold, a Styrofoam cup in one hand and a deputy badge pinned to his belt.

It was a odd sight to see a distraught Mr. Gold staring intently through the hospital room window. Not many people in either world got to see Rumplestiltskin display any form of vulnerability. Even the man himself believed himself indestructible. Yet here he was, in turmoil over a tiny slip of a girl.

This was the third time David had witnessed the imp's devotion to the young woman who lay sleeping in the next room. He'd scoffed at the notion of Rumplestiltskin knowing anything about love back in the Enchanted Forest all those years ago. But as he had begun to talk about lights and oceans, David realized this man, or being or whatever he was, had once had love in his life. Real love, maybe even true love. And despite all his reservations about helping the infamous Mr. Gold when he came to him for assistance nearly a month ago, David agreed after seeing the anguish Gold tried to keep hidden underneath his cool demeanor.

"Come to interrogate me, Mr. Nolan?" Gold asked as he held his vigilant stance outside Belle's room.

"No," David answered. "Your story checks out. Although why you were at the town line is still a mystery."

"I broke the border curse," Gold said with a unusual straightforwardness and a lack of emotion.

"That's great. Belle will be able to get her memories back," David exclaimed.

Gold shook his head as he continued to stare through the window. "No, it only works if you enchant an object most dear to the person beforehand. We weren't there for Belle. I was testing it out on myself. She was there for support. I only had enough potion for one object."

"And then our infamous Captain Hook showed up to interrupt your experiment," David surmised.

"I was going to kill him." Gold confessed, his eyes still focused on the girl laying in the room beyond the window. "He shot Belle and planned it so that at just the right point so she'd fall over the line. He was begging me to kill him and I was going to."

"But then the car struck him before you could," David continued, piecing together the clues of what actually went down tonight.

"I heard the car and rolled Belle the side of the road. Mr. Jones was standing in the middle."

"After what Emma's told me about their little adventure in the Enchanted Forest with him and Cora, I'm sad to say that he's going to live," David informed the man. "But I suggest you stay away from him."

Gold was about to tell Charming just exactly what he could do with his suggestions when Dr. Whale interrupted the two men standing before the window.

"Mr. Gold, can I have a moment of your time?" Dr. Whale asked softly and walked toward a bank of chairs on the far side of the room to afford them some bit of privacy.

What could Whale possibly have to say to him? What if the bullet had strayed and he didn't realize it? Or infection had set in already at the wound site and went septic. Every possible outcome seemed to race through his head in the five second it took to walk to where Whale was waiting. It was only as he stood before the doctor and stared at his arm that he realized he could heal what Dr. Whale couldn't. That thought brought a small measure of peace. But he still couldn't return Belle's memories to her.

"What is wrong, Whale?" Gold asked impatiently, all the while trying to hide the terror eating inside of him.

"Nothing life threatening," Whale answered immediately, knowing from experience not to antagonize the Dark One. "The bullet just caused a flesh wound in the shoulder. It didn't hit any organs or major arteries. The only thing we really are looking at is to make sure infection doesn't set in."

"Then why did you call me over to tell me what I already know," Gold responded, his tolerance for the doctor receding rapidly by the second.

Sensing he better get on with the news, Dr. Whale said hurriedly, "We did the standard blood tests to make sure infection wasn't setting in, but something was a bit off, so we ran a full panel."

"Get on with hit Whale," Gold demanded, his voice rising along with the fear he was trying to hide. "What did you find?"

"I think you'd better sit down first," the doctor advised.

"Just tell me," and irritated Mr. Gold said menacingly. "Before I rip off what I once fixed."

Collecting himself and taking a deep breath, Dr. Whale said the one thing that hadn't run through Gold's mind in the few minutes they stood discussing Belle's condition, "She's pregnant."

All blood drained from Gold's face as he collapsed in the chair behind him. It wasn't often that Rumplestiltskin was at a loss for words. In fact, in was only with regards to Bae or Belle that he ever was reduced to a state of incoherence since becoming the Dark One.

However, at the moment, Gold sat in shock as the doctor continued on with his diagnosis. "She's only about six weeks along. She probably didn't even know she was pregnant yet. From all the tests, though, she seems to be healthy with no complications."

"The gunshot wound?" Gold asked, finally able to get a form of intelligible thought out of his lips.

"Won't affect her," Dr. Whale answered. "The medicine she's being give is safe for her and the baby."

"You haven't told her yet," Gold remarked. It wasn't a question of inquiry, just a statement of fact.

"No," he answered. "With her loss of memory and the injury, I didn't want her to have a setback right now. She still believes she escaped from the mental ward. But she's going to have to be told. Soon."

"I'll tell her. She might not have her memories, but she trusts me," Gold declared. Looking up at the doctor, he added, "And I trust you news of this will not leak to anyone at the moment."

"Whatever you think of me, I won't disregard my patient's right to privacy," Whale replied. "I'll leave you to tell her the happy news."

As Whale moved to walk away, he stopped and turned around to stare once more at the imp sitting alone. "Mr. Gold," he said. "Congratulations. It's not often in this line of work that I get to offer good news."

Gold was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear the sound of heavy footsteps reaching him once again. "Is Belle alright?" David asked cautiously as he moved without invitation to sit next to Gold.

"Yes, it's just a shallow wound," Gold answered. "She will survive."

"Here," David said, holding out the cup he had been clutching when he first approached Gold a few minutes ago. "I think you need this more that I do."

Gold uncharacteristically accepted the Styrofoam cup from the man who had often been his nemesis in the past. Taking a sip, his eyes widened and asked, "You're not trying to poison me, are you? I'll inform you right now that it's not going to work."

Chuckling softly at Gold's inquiry, David answered, "It's brandy masquerading as tea. I picked back up the habit from home of carrying around a small flask in case of emergencies. This seemed like a fitting circumstance to use it."

"Thank you," Gold said as he took another sip of the hot beverage.

"What did Whale mean when he called back congratulations to you? Is Belle regaining her memories?" David asked.

"No," the older man answered. "There is no sign that she's remembering anything."

"What was the good news that Whale was talking about then?" David inquired cautiously, wondering how much the private man would reveal.

"I'm going to be a father," Gold answered succinctly. "He was offering me congratulations. Belle is pregnant."

* * *

"What the hell is going on?" Emma asked her mother, her gaze falling on the two unlikely men engaged in deep conversation at the other end of the hallway outside of Belle's hospital room.

"You mean besides the fact that we have three unconscious people lying in hospital beds because of tonight's events?" Mary Margaret answered sarcastically, not yet noticing the scene unfolding before them.

"No, I mean that," Emma clarified as she pointed to the two men seated a good distance away.

"Oh, my," Mary Margaret replied. "Come on, lets leave them alone for right now."

"What could they possibly be talking about so civilly?" Emma asked.

"Emma," Mary Margaret admonished, pulling her daughter into a small unoccupied waiting room. "He almost lost the love of his life tonight. Yeah, she's going to be physically okay, but she has no memories of anything now. I feel so bad for Belle. At least Sneezy had his memories of being a pharmacist to remember. From what David's told me, Belle doesn't remember anything other than being confined in a small white room."

"And here I thought Regina hated you," Emma responded. "It seems like being put under a sleeping curse was almost a better alternative to being in an asylum with no memories."

"I don't think her problem was with Belle," Mary Margaret answered. "I think her real revenge was against Rumplestiltskin."

"As with Hook," Emma replied. "That poor girl really entangled herself in a mess when she got herself mixed up with Rumplestiltskin."

"I feel so bad for her and Mr. Gold," Mary Margaret lamented.

"You feel bad for Gold?" Emma asked incredulously. "Are you sure that sleeping curse didn't affect your brain?"

"Emma, you don't quite understand our history with Rumplestilstkin," Mary Margaret explained. "I hate to admit it, but I've always had a soft spot for the imp. If it wasn't for him, Charming and I would never have been together."

"If it wasn't for him, we'd all never have been sent to Storybrooke." Emma answered, anger simmering beneath her comment.

"That's true," conceded Mary Margaret. "But you have to have some empathy for the man. His true love just lost all memory she ever had of him. I think David might feel a kinship with him."

"What do you mean by that?" Emma asked her mother.

"Haven't you memorized our story by now?" Mary Margaret asked jokingly. "After I took the potion to stop my feelings for Charming…"

"Given to you by Rumplestiltskin, I might add," Emma interrupted.

"Yes, well…after I took the potion, my memory was wiped completely of anything regarding him. It was as if all the goodness was washed away and filled with this intense rage against Regina. I was consumed with killing her as I known she'd killed my father. When Charming caught up with me, I had no idea who he was. I didn't care. He was trying to stop me from my goal and I wasn't going to let it happen. And then he kissed me."

"And your memories came rushing back to you," Emma finished.

"Oh, no," Mary Margaret laughed. "I yelled at him and pushed him away. He was spouting nonsense about True Love's Kiss and I was having none of it. He was this insane man distracting me from my mission. It was only after he jumped in front of me and took the arrow meant for Regina that I realized this handsome man babbling about True Love might be worth listening to. This total stranger was willing to sacrifice himself so my heart wouldn't be tainted by the Evil Queen's murder even though I had no memories of our love. Only someone who truly loved me would do that. So I kissed him, and then my memories came rushing back to me."

"Evidently, True Love's Kiss isn't working in this circumstance," Emma remarked.

"Belle doesn't know who she is right now. She doesn't realize the depth of her love for Rumplestiltskin," Mary Margaret commented. "I think True Love's Kiss has to be reciprocal. Right now it's just not possible for that to happen. Even then, it might not work."

"Maybe she's better off not remembering him after all," Emma remarked offhandedly.

"Oh, Emma," exclaimed Mary Margaret, grabbing hold of her daughter's hand. "Don't say that. I know despite your not telling me that you've been hurt tremendously in the past, but please don't close your heart off to love. True love isn't smooth and it isn't pretty. It's a roller coaster ride that can bring you the greatest heartache, but it also brings you the greatest joy. Remember, anything worth having is worth fighting for. Those two have a tough road ahead of them. Who knows if they'll even make it, but it's worth the fight."

"Should we go rescue David?" Emma asked, trying to avoid the topic of True Love and all of its repercussions.

"No," Mary Margaret responded.. "Let's leave them alone right now. Your father can take care of himself at the moment."

* * *

"I've shocked you into speechlessness, I see," Gold declared as he looked at the man sitting next to him. "It isn't often you don't have something self-righteous to say."

"I guess I'll offer my congratulations, also," David responded, shaking his head as if to wrap his mind around the piece of information Gold just unveiled. "It's just…I thought you two were taking it slow?"

"We were," Gold answered. "But do you remember what it was like after you were finally reunited with Mary Margaret? Did you wait for the cleric to bless your vows?"

David laughed as he remembered the aftermath of Snow's resurrection from the sleeping curse. "We didn't even wait for that evening."

David looked up, Gold's expression silently answering as if saying, "Exactly."

"Whale said Belle probably didn't know herself that she was pregnant. She's only about six weeks along," Gold said, taking a sip once again from the cup in his hands. "I'd appreciate it if you'd keep this information quiet for awhile. For numerous reasons."

"Of course," David responded. "Are you going to give her the news?"

"Not right now," Gold answered. "She's scared enough as it is. All she knows right now is that Jefferson released her and told her to find me. That I'd keep her safe. Exactly the same thing she revealed the day the curse was broken and she was walked into my shop. A phantasm come back to life. I'll tell her soon, though."

"I know we've had our differences," David said. "But I wish you luck. If there is every anything I can do…"

"Is that a deal I hear wanting to be made?" Gold replied, a bit of his trademark snark returning to his voice.

"No, it's what…," but David was at a loss for words. With anyone else, he would have used the word _friends_, but with Gold, it just didn't seem appropriate. At least, not right now. "It's what people do for one another. Offer help and assistance when needed."

"I might just take you up on that offer," Gold responded. "I'm leaving town shortly. Just for a few days. I don't want to leave Belle alone, but it's something that needs to be done."

"It appears I'm deputy sheriff in this town now," David supplied. "It's my job to make sure everyone is safe. I'll do my best to keep Belle safe."

"Ever the Prince Charming," Gold snorted. "So, any chance of the Charmings adding to their brood in the near future?"

David choked, once again speechless in the presence of Rumplestiltskin. It wasn't something he and Mary Margaret had even discussed. With just being reunited with his wife and daughter and trying to achieve some sort of normalcy, David realized he might be in a similar predicament as Gold. He suddenly had an urge to talk to Mary Margaret. Immediately.

Standing up suddenly, David turned to Gold and said, "Once again, congratulations. I promise to keep it quiet. I wish you luck on the journey ahead for you.

"Thank you," Gold murmured as he watched the prince walk hurriedly away. He'd never had much faith in luck or blessings in the past, but Gold realized that sometimes even the dark has to embrace the light.

_Just a short ficlet that popped into my head. With the thought of Belle, Gold and a hospital, I just couldn't resist adding a pregnancy into the mix. I know this is never going to happen, but darn those plot bunnies when they take hold of you. They make you stop every other thing you're writing and demand attention, like spoiled little children. Hope you like it. _


	2. Making Friends

_I swore I wouldn't get sucked into writing a second chapter. I was adamant I wasn't going to do it. So what happened? Plot bunnies attacked again. I really hate them. They infiltrate your brain and nothing you can do can get them out except giving in to their demands. So here I am, giving in. Hope you like this second chapter. _

**Chapter 2: Making Friends**

"How are you doing?" Ruby asked as she peeked tentatively into the quiet hospital room.

"Ruby, isn't it?" Belle asked as she turned off the television she'd been watching as the tall brunette entered and sat down next to the bed.

"You remembered!" Ruby said excitedly.

"Well, it's only been a few hours since you introduced yourself," Belle answered truthfully. "I've only met a handful of people. It's kind of hard not to remember when you're a blank slate."

"You still don't remember a thing? I mean before the accident," she asked her friend.

"No," Belle sighed. "I have vague memories of being in an empty room, but that's it. Nothing else."

Ruby was unsure how much to reveal to Belle. Before he left the hospital Gold pulled her aside. After threatening her life if something should happen to Belle while he was away on his trip, he informed her that any talk of magic and their other lives caused Belle to panic and become upset. As much as she hated to admit it, the belligerent man dearly loved the girl sitting so forlornly in her bed. It was heartbreaking in a way to see the way he had paused quietly outside her door without entering before he left.

Looking around the room, Ruby's eyes fell upon the site of broken china sitting haphazardly on her side table. "What happened there?"

"That man from the accident came in and was raving about knowing me and talking about magic. He kept pushing this old broken cup in my face and demanding I look at it. I panicked. I picked it up and threw it across the room."

"Oh, Belle," Ruby sighed, putting a hand against her heart. No wonder Gold was so reluctant to go back into her room before he left. Just from the little Belle had told her about the chipped cup before, she realized what it meant to both of them. "What did he do after you broke it?"

"He looked down at it and walked out of the room without saying anything," she answered. "He hasn't been back since then."

Ruby reached over for her hand and squeezed it. "He's out of town for a few days. He left this morning."

"He kept talking about me remembering our love, but I just don't feel anything for him," Belle revealed. "If he was important to me, I'd have felt something, wouldn't I?"

"I don't know," Ruby answered. She wanted to say that the curse affected everyone oddly, often ripping them from the things they loved most in their lives, but refrained from discussing it for fear of upsetting her.

Belle eyes Ruby askance as she asked the one question that had been bothering her since the strange gentleman left her room. "Ruby, I wasn't married to that man was I? I didn't have any ring on, but they took everything off when I got to the hospital."

"No," Ruby replied to her friend. "You weren't married, but you did have an…umm…intricate relationship."

"What does that mean, 'intricate relationship'?" she inquired in confusion.

Ruby struggled to put into words what even she didn't really understand about Belle and Mr. Gold. They were completely mismatched in every way, but anyone who saw the two together could tell they had deep feelings for each other. Belle had once revealed to Ruby after a few drink that despite what gossip was whispered about that Rumplestiltskin had never laid a hand on her back when she lived at his castle, despite some of her occasional fantasies. At the time, Ruby was disturbed by the words _Rumplestiltskin _and _fantasy _used in the same sentence, but she soon realized her new friend truly did love the malevolent imp.

Turning her attention away from her thoughts and back to Belle, Ruby answered, "It means that you two have had your ups and downs, but you remained steadfast that he was your true love."

"Then why did he push me like that?" Belle asked in wonder. "Why was he raving about magic and charms and castles? He acted like he was insane."

"After last night I suspect he is," Ruby informed her friend. "You have to realize that Mr. Gold is a bit…shall we say…intense. He never does anything by half measures. I think he was just pushing you too much to remember him."

"He even kissed me as I was sleeping. I woke up and screamed." Belle revealed.

Belle's admission made Ruby feel a bit sympathetic to the heartbroken Mr. Gold. He must have been trying "True Love's Kiss" in desperation, despite knowing it wouldn't work in these circumstances with her not knowing anything about him. She thought back to another couple who'd had their own ups and downs with memory loss and "True Love's Kiss." If Snow and Charming made it through their difficulties, she was confident that eventually Belle would, also.

"Belle, no matter what anyone tells you about Mr. Gold I want you to realize that he would never do anything to hurt you," she explained.

"What if I never remember anything? I don't even know where I live. What if I never remember him?"

"We don't have to solve all of your problems today," Ruby replied.

"I do have to solve one problem." Belle told the brunette sitting beside her. "The nurse came in and told me that they'll be releasing me soon. Only I have no idea where I live."

"That I can help you with," Ruby supplied. "You live in an apartment above the town library. The library's not opened yet, but before your accident you were getting ready to reopen it. It's been closed as long as anyone can remember. However, I wanted to suggest staying at the Inn. My granny runs the town boardinghouse and diner. Before you moved into the apartment above the library you stayed at the Inn. Why don't you come back and stay with us so you won't be alone."

"You'd do that?" she asked the girl who was a virtual stranger to her. "Are you sure? I don't even know if I have any money to pay you for a room?"

"Don't worry about money at all. You're practically family," Ruby informed her. "How about I go and pack some things for you and take them over to the Inn and then bring you some clothes so you can change out of that horrible hospital gown?"

"That sounds great." Belle thanked her friend. "I don't know how I'll ever thank you for all that you're doing for me."

"You don't have to thank me. It's what friends do for each other." Standing up, Ruby added, "Oh, before I go, why don't I take those broken pieces and do something with them?" Without waiting for an answer, Ruby whisked off the beret she was wearing and swept jagged pieces into the hat. Someday, she might want the remnants of the now destroyed cup.

After saying goodbye and promising to be back soon, Ruby stepped out of the room and immediately found Dr. Whale waiting outside the door.

"Good," Dr. Whale said to Ruby. "I was hoping I could talk to you. Did Belle let you know that she was being released soon?"

"Yeah," she answered, walking toward the waiting area and holding her hat carefully in her hands so she didn't drop any pieces of broken china. "I talked her into staying at the Inn instead at her apartment over the Library."

"That's great. I heard Mr. Gold left town this morning and wanted to make sure someone was keeping a close watch on her."

"She'll be safe with us," Ruby answered. "Nobody will get past Granny and her crossbow, even Cora and Hook."

"Well, Hook's handcuffed to his hospital bed and in no condition to leave it even if he could at the moment." Whale paused and added cautiously, "She didn't mention anything to you, did she, about something Mr. Gold might have informed her about? Any news about her condition?"

"No," Ruby asked in concern. "Is everything okay. What's the matter?"

"She's fine," he assured her. "We wouldn't be releasing her if something was wrong. She has nothing wrong physically. Just the memory loss."

"Then why did you just say that," Ruby confronted him angrily. "Whale, you tell me right now what's going on! If something is wrong, I need to know. I don't need Gold coming back and making good on his thread to kill us all if something happens to her."

Despite his promise Gold, Whale debated whether to tell Ruby about Belle's condition. In the end, he figured it was safer for Ruby to know the truth than honor Gold his promise to Mr. Gold. "Okay, I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to tell anyone, especially Belle. I promised Gold he'd be the one to inform her. With her state of mind at the moment, we didn't want to alarm her, but since you're looking out for her, it's better if you know, too."

Clutching her heart, Ruby exclaimed, "Oh my goodness, she's dying, isn't she? The bullet hit something important and Rumplestiltskin's magic couldn't heal it, could it!"

"Stop jumping to conclusions," Whale admonished. Lowering his voice, he added, "I told you nothing was wrong physically. She's just pregnant."

"Pregnant," Ruby eked out softly. "Why didn't she tell me before the accident?"

"As I told Gold, she probably didn't know herself," he informed her. "She's only about six weeks along."

"Poor Belle," Ruby sighed. "That girl hasn't had an easy time of it, has she? Let's just hope for all of our sakes she's still in one piece before Gold gets back from wherever he took off for."

* * *

A few hours later, after being released from the hospital and having some of her belongings moved over to the Inn, Belle was safely ensconced at the counter in Granny's Diner.

"It looks delicious," Belle said as she stared at the plate of food before her.

"Hamburgers were your favorite before the accident, but Sloppy Joes were on special so I thought you might like to try one of those," Granny said informed her.

Belle immediately took to the older woman the moment she was introduced. One look at the girl and Granny had her in a smothering hug and insisting she call her "Granny" just like everyone else in town did.

"Granny makes the best food in town," a gruff man sitting next to her volunteered. Seeing her staring at him oddly, the stranger introduced himself. "I'm Leroy."

"Did we know each other before?" Belle asked as she picked up a fry and started eating.

"You could say that," Leroy said as the took a bite of his own food. Snow filled him in on Belle's amnesia and was already warned not to mention anything about the Enchanted Forest or magic.

"Here you go, Belle," Ruby said as she placed a drink before her friend. "Fresh brewed iced tea."

"With what she's been through, you should make it a Long Island version," Leroy advised.

"No alcohol," she admonished Leroy as she turned around to get a straw for Belle. "Dr. Whale said alcohol would interfere with the painkillers they gave her."

Granny smiled as she informed her granddaughter, "Sometimes a bit of whiskey is the best medicine around."

"That may be so, but not today," Ruby replied, hoping they'd change the subject. If Gold didn't get back soon, she'd have a devil of a time trying to think up reasons why Belle had to avoid certain things.

"This is delicious," Belle answered, amused by the conversation going on around her. "And I don't mind not having any alcohol at the moment. I need all the clear-headedness I can get."

As she began to enjoy her dinner, Belle could hear Ruby call out a greeting to a woman who entered the diner and sat at a booth by the window.

"I'll take care of Mary Margaret, Granny," Ruby said as she walked toward the newcomer. Sitting down across from her in the booth, Ruby asked quietly, "Did you know Gold left town today?"

"Yes," Mary Margaret answered. "And he took Emma and Henry with him."

"Why did he do that?" she asked in surprise. "What could he possibly want with them?"

"He's trying to find his son. Emma owed him a favor from when she helped Ashley with the baby and he called it in. She's going to help Gold track him down."

"Gold has a son?" Ruby inquired, shock evident on her face.

"I didn't know about it, either," responded Mary Margaret. "None of us had any idea."

"Why did Henry go?" Ruby asked, worried about Emma and Henry being outside of Storybrooke.

"He refused to be left alone once again after being separated from her for so long," she explained. "So Emma took him with them. Evidently, it's not too dangerous or Emma wouldn't have taken him. And as much as Gold could care less about the people of Storybrooke, I don't think he'd let anything happen to Henry."

"Do you think Belle knew about his son?" Ruby wondered. "I mean before the accident."

Mary Margaret glanced briefly at Belle sitting at the counter and then answered her friend. "I'm almost positive she knew. Charming said Gold told him they were at the town line testing a potion that would allow him to cross the border. Belle knew of his plans to leave, but she was going to stay in town while he was gone. But then Hook showed up and shot her and she fell over the line."

"And she lost her memory," Ruby finished. "So that's why she was a the border with Gold the other night."

"She didn't tell you?" Mary Margaret asked.

"No," she answered. "I only knew that her and Gold were getting along better. She did say she was thinking of moving back in with him after the library was opened and things were settled. But I didn't think to ask what that meant at the time. I guess translates to getting his son back in Storybrooke."

Toying with the place setting on the table, Mary Margaret kept her head down and asked tentatively, "She didn't confide anything else to you before the accident, did she?"

"Like what?" Ruby asked suspiciously. Staring at her longtime friend, she hissed in a low voice, "You know, don't you!"

"I don't what you're talking about," Mary Margaret lied as she bent the edge of the paper placemat sitting in front of her.

"Who told you?" Ruby whispered, not wanting anyone to hear their conversation. "Belle doesn't even know, yet."

"Then how did you find out?" the former princess asked her best friend.

"Whale told me before he released her. He said Gold was going to tell her when he got back. They didn't want to alarm her after all she's been through at the moment. But nobody is supposed to know. Not even me," Ruby supplied. "How did you find out?

"Charming told me," Mary Margaret replied. "He was talking to Mr. Gold when Dr. Whale told him the news. He asked David to keep quiet about it until he got the chance to tell her."

"So naturally he ran home and told you immediately," Ruby answered, still keeping their voices quiet despite nobody sitting beside them. "I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I feel sorry for Rumplestiltskin. Belle can't stand to be in the same room with the man at the moment and he has to break the news to her that she's pregnant with his child."

"Oh, my," Mary Margaret responded. "When you put it that way, it really sounds bad."

Before Ruby could say anything more, Granny yelled out to them, "Ruby, I don't pay you to gossip. We have other customers."

"Coming, Granny," she called back to her grandmother. Sliding out of the booth, Ruby turned to her friend and whispered, "No one else can know."

"Got it," Mary Margaret answered as she got up and walked toward the counter with her friend. Sitting on the stool on the other side of Belle, she apologized to the older woman, "Sorry for monopolizing Ruby, Granny, but I had something important to discuss with her about Emma."

"That's okay, darling," Granny replied, as she removed the empty plate from in front of Belle. "Here," she said, placing a piece of chocolate cake in front of the young lady. "Chocolate solves many of life's problems I've found.

"Thank you, Granny. I don't know where I'm going to put it. Everything is so good," Belle responded as she stuck a forkful of cake into her mouth. "Oh, this is absolute heaven."

Mary Margaret responded, "Granny always makes the best desserts. I'm Mary Margaret, by the way. We knew each other a little bit before…well, you know, but I believe you knew my husband, David, a bit more."

"I did?" Belle wondered as she stared at the pixie-haired brunette sitting beside her.

"Yes. I was away for a few weeks and he was acting sheriff while Emma and I were away. He helped you out with a few things at the Library," Mary Margaret explained. Turning to Granny, she announced, "Oh, that reminds me. I wanted to let you know that Charm…uh…David, is acting sheriff again. Emma had to go out of town for a little bit, so if anyone has any problems to get a hold of him."

"Why did Emma leave town?" Granny asked in concern. "I'd have thought that she wouldn't want too far away from Henry now that she's back."

"She took Henry with her," Mary Margaret replied. "They're not going to be gone for long. Just a short trip."

Eyeing Belle following the conversation between the two women, Granny stopped herself from interrogating the princess any further. Changing the subject, Granny said, "Belle, you have such a great appetite. I don't know how you stay so tiny, but you never gain an ounce."

Mary Margaret held back from the retort that weighed on the end of her tongue. If Granny knew the truth, she'd realize how untrue that statement would be in a few months. She remember the phases of her own pregnancy. Despite the constant worry over Regina and her plans, Snow couldn't get enough to eat after the morning sickness finally passed. If Belle was only six weeks along in her pregnancy, morning sickness probably hadn't even kicked in yet. That was one part of pregnancy, she didn't miss.

Turning to Belle, Mary Margaret began, "I actually wanted to talk at you, Belle.""About what?" Belle inquired as she looked at the woman beside her. It was so strange talking to people who knew more about her than she knew about herself.

"I wanted to let you know if you ever need someone to talk to that David and I am here for you," Mary Margaret informed her. "Actually, I think it would be really good idea to talk to David. He's been in a similar situation as you not too long ago."

"That's right," Granny replied. "It's hard to believe that was just a few months ago. It seems like years, now."

"What happened to your husband?" Belle inquired as she took another bit her dessert.

Mary Margaret sat silently for a moment as she thought about how to explain the situation without scaring the girl sitting next to her. "David was in a bad accident that resulted in his being in a coma. When he awoke, he had amnesia."

Belle looked at Mary Margaret with marked interest. "Did he get his memory back?"

"Yes," she answered. "He did. I wanted you to know that there's someone who has been in your shoes. I wanted you to have hope that someday you'll get your memory back."

"How did his come back?" Belle asked curiously. She realized it would take time, but she was scared and frustrated that she'd never recover her memories of her former life.

Mary Margaret didn't know how to answer without saying the one word that was guaranteed to upset her. It was magic. Magic implanted the false memories in David after his amnesia and magic returned them all to the people they once were. She knew Belle didn't want to hear it, but Mary Margaret suspected that only magic would return her to the person she really was, also. But she ended up answering her question by saying, "Let's just say that with David and I, our love was strong enough to break through any barriers before us. It may take time, but I'm optimistic you'll get your memories back, too, someday."

_I have no idea how long this thing will be. I was only planning on just writing the first chapter and leaving it be, but then this one popped out. I have "A Bug's Life" taking up a lot of my writing time and my other stories waiting in the wings. I guess it all depends on which way the plot bunnies decide to attack next. Thank you for all your support. Please review. I enjoy the feedback._


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